As we’ve gone over before, the main things you need to do to keep your kitty clean and happy are to drink water, eat fruits, and exercise regularly. While it’s important to do all of this, we often forget one major key: Kegels.
You might be sitting here thinking, “What the heck is a Kegel?” or, “I thought Kegels were for pregnant women,” or, “How do you pronounce this word?” If you are, it’s perfectly okay to be confused because Kegel aren’t something women our age usually speak about openly.
First, the word is pronounced kee-gal and second, it’s not just for pregnant women – its for women of all ages and medical backgrounds. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Kegels are, “repetitive contractions of the pelvic muscles that control the flow in urination in order to strengthen these muscles especially to control or prevent incontinence or to enhance sexual responsiveness during intercourse.”
I learned about Kegels from one of my friends freshman year who explained to me the importance of Kegels and how it not only improved her vaginal health, but her sex life as well. I began to do them regularly and let me tell you, my vagina (and boo) are extremely happy, and have thanked me.
According to Mayoclinic.org, “Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum.” They can help women who are pregnant, postpartum, suffering from loss of bladder control, those with jobs that require heavy lifting, and those who aren’t pregnant. Gynecologist Edwin Huang, MD at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston encourages all women to do Kegel exercises, saying that, “Everybody should do them.”
So now that you have a better understanding of what they are, exactly how do you do them?
Find the right muscles! Next time you go to the bathroom, start then stop peeing; the muscles that you use to do that are the same ones you work when you do your Kegels. You can also test the muscles by putting a clean finger in your kitty and trying to squeeze it; those muscles that you feel contracting are the ones that you need to work. Make sure you’re only squeezing your pelvic muscles, not the ones for your butt and abdomen at the same time. It may take some getting used to but you’ll figure it out eventually.
Slow and steady always wins the race. If this is your first time doing Kegel exercises, start slow so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Practice squeezing your pelvic muscles, holding for two to four seconds, then relaxing. Try to repeat this 10 to 15 times, and do so every day. As you do it more often you’ll find that you can hold the exercise for longer, do more repetitions, and it’ll become a lot easier.
Do your Kegels regularly! If you want to see results, you’ll have to do them every day. Honestly, I do them while sitting in class if I get bored. I’ll find myself doing about 50-100 Kegel, and the results I’ve had have been great. You can do them while you check your e-mail, while you’re waiting on the pasta line in the caf, while you’re in the car, whatever works for you. Just make sure you do them routinely!
Kegels have been proven to strengthen pelvic muscles, tone and strengthen your vaginal muscles, and help pass any bacteria and other things trapped in your vajayjay. So ladies (and men too, I know some of you are reading this lol) don’t forget to drink your water, eat your fruit, exercise regularly, AND do your Kegels. Your body, vagina, and boo will thank me later!